Month: November 2014

This is important. Opposition is good. Opposition provides a catalyst for growth. Without opposition we would have nothing to push against. Nothing to push off and set us growing in a new direction. We would stay comfortable and never change.

In my life I have learnt to be grateful for those situations, people and things that oppose me. Without them I would not be who I am.

That said, sometimes there is opposition in the form of a person or thing that we just get stuck on. That person or thing that we are seemingly unable (at least for a time) to overcome, work around or assimilate as we need to in order to learn and move on. It could be that one person in your social circle that you’ve never quite come to grips with – frenemy anybody?

frenemy

ˈfrɛnəmi/

noun informal

a person with whom one is friendly despite a fundamental dislike or rivalry.

Or, is it something else; something more difficult? What demon stalks you? Is it an addiction (habit; substance)? A point at which you perpetually stumble?

I have practiced yoga on-and-off for about 10 years. The past 12 months have seen my most consistent application to the field, attending classes 4-5 times per week. With this amount of concentrated effort comes natural improvement. Postures become easier; flexibility is gained. Progression is made to more advanced poses.

Yet, some things that were difficult a year ago are still difficult for me today. I’ve not found the right way to handle the opposition that stands between where I am and where I want to be.

A case in point?

My yoga nemesis…the crane!!!!!!!

Even the most basic version of this posture (shown below) has consistently eluded me.

A week ago I decided that this would stop. There was nothing physical or material in my way. My problem mastering the crane could be found in one easily identifiable place. Namely, the space located immediately to the left of my right ear and to the right of my left ear – my mind!

This mental hurdle was 100% self-made. The good news being that because I had put it there I also had the ability to remove it. The crucial element required to achieve this was an act of will.

will

wɪl/

noun

the faculty by which a person decides on and initiates action.

control deliberately exerted to do something or to restrain one’s own impulses.

a deliberate or fixed desire or intention.

With a simple choice and commitment of intention I was able to get out of my own way and attain something that had escaped me for over 12 months…a strong, stable crane. (Well, for 30 seconds at least.) Now, as you can see below, there remain many more steps along the path to ultimate mastery of the crane:

But a significant step has been made, because I simply decided that I would.